Acetylene-gas buoy.



Fig. 1

WTNESSES:

R. M. DIXON.

AGETYLENE GAS BUOY.

APPIIIOATION FILED JUNE 6, 190s.

Patented June 29, 1909.

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ACETYLENE GAS BUOY.

APPLICATION HLBD JUNI: e, 1909.

926,47 5. Patented June 29, 1909-.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

ROBERT M. DIXON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY CAR HEAT- ING & LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ACETYLENE-GAS BUOY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene Gas Buoys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as vwill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates broadly to gas generating apparatus, but, inasmuch as certain advantages 'characteristic of the invention prominently ap ear in its more intense aspect as an acety ene gas buoy, it will be conducive to a more complete disclosure to detail such embodiment thereof.

This invention has in view, among other objects, the provision of an apparatus of the above-named nature in which two dissimilar substances may be brought together under conditions setting up a mutual decomposition with a concomitant production vof gas, and this uniformly and at predetermined rates, without requiring an unduly involved apparatus. f

An object more specifically contemplated by this invention is the provision of a buoy or lloat adapted to be anchored on a body of water, and so constructed as to autornatically generate proper quantities of gas, such as acetylene, for maintainingr a beacon light.

Another object is to devise an apparatus of the foregoing character especially adapted for handling calcium carbid, and having facilities for replacing exhausted carbid at predetermined intervals.

ln general, this invention seeks to provide a device of the nature disclosed, which, from `a practical operative standpoint, will possess a high degree of etliciency and durability, and which, structurally considered, will be of the greatest possible simplicity, being coniposed of but few parts, all of which may be manufactured at a minimum ol cost and all ol' which are so correlated as to be capable ol' being very readily assembled to accomplish the purposes intended.

Ollier objects und advantages will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled June 6, '1908.

Patented June 29, A190e.

serial No. 437,074.

applied by modifications deducible from this disclosure and accordingly comprehended within the intended scope ofthe annexed claims.

In the appended drawings like characters of 'reference denote corresponding parts,

throughout all the views of which- Figure l is a sectional side elevation of an acetylene gas buoy embodying the features of this invention and arranged for practical operative use; Fig. 2 is anenlarged view of the lower portion' of the apparatus of Fig. 1, showing in greater detail the carbid containing means, and the valve and pipe connections; and Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3 3 of Fig.

Continuing now, by way of a more detailed description, making occasional reference to the annexed drawings as indicated by the numerals, the body or float of this apparatus is indicated bv 1 and, as will be apparent, may assume dive/rse shapes. U rising from the dome of the body 1 may be a eacon supporting tower or frame 2 of structural iron or other material and construction. The interior of the body 1 forms a large chamber for the storage of gas, which is withdrawn therefrom through an aperture 3, preferably at its upper end. A. pipe 4 leads to the buoy lantern or beacon, and, for the purpose of regulating the ilow of gas, a valve 5 may be interposed.

The gas generating features of this invention may now be set forth. The lower part oi' the body portion 1 is elongated and contracted, and to this end may consist oi' a plurality ol' detachable tubular sections 6 and 7. These sections may be bolted together at their ends by means oltheir abutting annular llanges, and the lo er extremity ol' the underlying section 7 may be provided with an end cap S, detachably positioned by diaphragm '20 so as means or" bolts 9, or their equivalents. lower section 7 is to serve as a receptacle or container for a series of carbid cartridges 10, each of which is provided with a series oi perforations 11 to enable the water to enter the same when at the level of such perforations, thereby producing a chemical-reaction between the calcium carbid and 'the water, with the resultant production oi acetylene gas on the one hand and Icalcium hydrate on the other. The admission oiwater to the receptacle 7 containing the carbid cartridges takes place through a water inlet pipe 12, located at any ydesired point below the surface of the water, in accordance with the pressure desired in the buoy. The quantity of water admitted through the inlet 12 is controlled by a valve 13 actuated by a diaphragm, which, in turn, operates in roportion to the pressure oi the gas in t e storage chamber of the body 1. After passing through the valve 13, the water emerges through a pipe 14, which leads into the upper end of a tube 15. This tube conducts the water directly to the bottom oil th'e'cylinder 7 and admits such water to the same through the apertures 16. The water in rising soon ills up to the periorations in the lower carbid cartridge and in consequence enters such cartridge and comes in contact with the calcium carbid, thereby spontaneously generating acetylene gas. This gas, of course, rises in the s ace around the cartridges and passes upwardy into the storage chamber of the body 1 through a pipe 17, which extends well above the maximum water line, that is to say, it terminates at a point 18 near the dome of the interior of the body 1. As will be obvious,the acetylene gas in accumulating in the storage chamber of the body 1 continually increases in pressure, which is cornmunicated to the waterinlet valve 13, so as to vary the rate of admission ofthe water in inverse proportion to the increase in pressure oi' the gas in the buoy chamber. It may here be stated that the diaphragm 2O is interposed between they sections 6 and 7 and the plipe 17 is screw-threaded through such dia ragm, as is also the pipe 22, which lea s through the body 1` to the outside atmosphere. The valve 18 is screwed to thel to provide a subchamber 23 which, by virtue of pipe 22, always remains at atmospheric pressure, whereas the other portions of the apparatus inclosed within the body 1 remain at the greater ressure provided by the gas stored 1n the c amber. Here it is to be observed that this latter pressure corresponds to the depth of the inlet 12 below the surface of the water. ln practice, it has been found that a submergence of the inlet. 12 below the surface of the water a distance corresponding to a pressure of four pounds meets all practical requiresupplied with carbid.

essere 7lie l ments. The withdrawal of gas to be-burne'd in the beacon necessarily tends to produce a diminution in the pressure of the gas' within the chamber of the body. ln consequence of this reduced ressure, which is freely communicated to t e undersidepf a flexible or movable diaphraom in the valve 13 (the other side ol' suci movable member being subjected to the lower atmospheric pressure by virtue of pipe 22) a movement of the valve will take place, thus augmenting the flow of water through the inlet 12 into the section 7 ln consequence oi this additional su ply of water, a further reaction between tie carbid and such water will continue, Ythus generating fresh supplies of gas. This gas will, in turn, pass into the storage chamber, thereby increasing the pressure in the same, and the effect oi this will be to communicate such pressure through the pipe 19 and shut olif or diminish the further supply of water. As will be evident, this series of operations will take place evenly and at a rate corresponding to the withdrawal oi gas from the storage chamber of the body 1. Ultimately, the lower chamber of the rece tacle l7 will become lilled with water, `whiclr will rise in pipes 18 and 19 until it reaches the level of the water surrounding the buoy. At this point it will'be necessary to replenish the stock of calcium carbid, which may be done by lifting the-'buoy from the water, by removing cap 8 and refilling the receptacle 7 with new cartridges,v and then, after replacing the cap 8, t-he buoy is once more ready for service.

vlt will be seen that l have succeeded in devising an apparatus well adapted to achieve the ends in View. The design of the parts is such that many 'ofy them, such, for example, as the lower cylindrical members 6 and 7 and associated parts, may be conveniently attached to the gas buoys nowicommonly in use, thus without material expense converting the same into acetylene gas buoys.

As many changes could be-made in the above construction and many apparently widelyv diilerent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing 'from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matev ter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein ioo described and all statements of the scope or the ,invention which, as a matter of language,

with a body of water, an inlet continuously means 'for controlling the low of water communicating with the water in which the receptacle is submerged for enabling water to enter vsaid receptacle to react with said carbid, a valve controlling said inlet', and differential means operated jointly by at- Inospheric'pressure, and the excess pressure of generated gas for operating said valve.

2i In a device of the nature disclosed, comprising incombination, a hollow float, an elongated submerged receptacle secured -to a submerged portion of said float, a por- 'tion of said receptacle beingl adapted to contain calcium carbid,l a water inlet opening intosaid carbid containing portion of 4said receptacle and continuouslycommunicating With the water inwhich the receptacle is submerged, a differential valve controlling the inflow of Water through said inlet, apipe connected' to said valve, whereby the latter may receive normal atmospheric pressure, and another pipe leading to said valve, whereby the same may receive gas pressure and undergo differential movement.

3. In adevice of the nature disclosed, comprising in combination, a hollow float forming a storage chamber, a closed submerged receptacle detachably secured to a submerged portion of said float, said receptac e being adapted to contain calcium car bid, a valve establishing communication between the interior of said receptacle and the water in which it is submerged, means for admitting generated gas to said storage chamber, and means differentially actuated by the pressure ol said stored gas and the normal atmospheric pressure for actuating said valve to control the inlet of water.

4. In a device of the nature described, in combination, a float comprising a chamber for the storage of gas, 'said chamber being at all times free 'from Water, a submerged receptacle carried by said float and adapted to contain calcium carbid, a connection between said receptacle and said chamber for allowing the generated gas to pass from 'the former to the latter, a water inlet forsaid receptacle communicating with the water within which it is submerged, and automatically operating through said inlet.

5. In a device of the nature disclosed, comprising in combination, afloat adapted to be placed in a body of water, an elongated receptacle de ending from a submerged portion thereo a conduit having an imperferate intermediate portion extending from the bottom of said receptacle to an upper portion thereof, a plurality of perfor-ate carbid containersy arranged in superposed series through said Within said receptacle, and means differentially actuatedlby the pressure of the generated gas and normal atmospheric pressure for admitting water lfrom the body of water in `which the float is placed into the upper' end of said conduit, whereby said water may be delivered into the lower end of said receptacle' and' rise to successively decompose the carbid in said containers. y

6. In a device of the nature disclosed, comprising in combination, a float, an elongated receptacle depending from a submerged portion of said float, a plurality of perforate carbid containers rismg in superposed series from the bottom of said receptacle, and a valve communicating with the Water externally of said float for admitting water directly into a lower portion of said receptacle,

and means differentially actuated by the pressure of stored gas and the normal atmospheric pressure for controlling the said valve.

7. In a device ofthe nature disclosed, comprising in combination, a float, an elongatedy receptacle de ending from a submerged portion of said ilbat, a partition interposed between the interior of said receptacle and the chamber in said float, a pipe passing tightly artition and rising into the chamber of said float to a point above the normal Water line, whereby gas, but not Water, may flow from said submerged 'receptacle into saidy storage chamber, and-means differentially controlled by the pressure of gas in said storage chamber and the normal atmospheric pressure for admitting Water into said receptacle. l

8. In a device of the nature disclosed, com- .prisinguin combination, a float having a gas storage chamber, a receptacle depending from a submerged portion of said float, a partition interposed between the interior of said receptacle and said storage chamber, a pipe leadmg from the lnterior of said receptacle tightly through said partition and terminating in said storage chamber above the Water line of said float, a valve arranged in said receptacle underlying said partition, a pipe leading from said valve tightly through said partition and terminatin' in said storage chamber above the water ine thereof", and a pipe leading from said valve to a pointin the 'atmosphere above the'water line, means in lsaid valve for controlling thelnlet ol Water according tothe diflerent1al ressure existing between the stored gas an the' normal atmospheric pressure, and a superposed seriesA of erforate carbid containers arranged in said) receptacle.

9. In a device of the nature disclosed, comprisin in combination, a receptacle containin ca cium carbid means formainta'inin said receptacle in buoyantly submerged relation with a body of Water, an inlet for enabling Water to enter said receptacle, and an automatically operating Valve for controlling the flow of Water through said inlet.

10. ln combination, a buoy provided with @submerged portion adapted to contain calclum carbid, a conduit communicating with the Water exterior said buoy and leading into ,o said submerged portion, andan automaticuw ally operating valve for controlling the HOW of Water through said conduit. 10

ln testimony whereof l afxmy signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

f ROBERT M. DIXN. Witnesses JOHN T. CLARK, E. E. ALLBEE. 

